The Good Old Days
by MKShepard
Summary: High School AU. Shepard tries to get through high school with the least drama possible. That goes out the window, however, when he finds himself in a love triangle with Jack, the trouble maker, and Miranda Lawson, the cheerleader. Add to that his family secret, and you get an all out drama story.
1. Chapter 1

**First Day, Detention**

Shepard's POV

How I managed to get detention in the first day of school is beyond me. But of course, I find myself in here anyhow. I walked in the class, and it was actually pretty packed. Mr. Udina, my trig. teacher, was in charge of detention. He took role, and said we should work on homework. No one listened, and everyone engaged in conversations. I'm the new guy here, so I just sat in there, checking my messages on my omni-tool. Something hits my forehead. I look up to see what it was, and who threw it at me. It was a pad (1), and this girl was looking at me.

"Open it", she mouthed

I looked skeptically at the pad, but opened it anyways.

_Hey, I'm Jack. Heard what happened earlier, it must've been fucking awesome ;)_

I looked back up to see her grinning. I started typing in reply:

_Alex. And if you already heard, then word gets around pretty quick around here _

I threw it back at her. She opened it and read the message. While she was replying, I started reading this football try-outs flyer on the bulletin board I had been leaning against these past 20 minutes.

"Huh, I should definitely try out for this", I thought

The girl, Jack apparently, threw back the pad at my desk. I had gotten so wrapped up with my thoughts on what I would do at the try-outs that I completely forgot about the "conversation" we were having, and I nearly jumped when the pad slammed on my desk. Anyhow, I read it.

_You know this passing back and forth is stupid, here's my number: 953-0496-37821, that way we don't look like total dumb asses anymore. _

I had to laugh at that, mostly because now that I thought about it, it was actually quite true. I turned on my omni-tool and saved the number in my contacts. I then messaged her, again.

_Alex _Shep: Here's our first official message :P_

_Jack: That's gay Shepard_

_Alex_Shep: What did u have in mind? That I'd reply "you've been messaged?"_

_Jack: …dumb ass_

_Alex_Shep: haha, so u know what I did to get detention, wat did u do?_

_Jack: I miraculously didn't do anything today, but I owe Udina detention from last year xD_

_Alex_Shep: Seriously?! What did u do to get that many detentions?_

_Jack: it depends, it's actually a long-ass list, from cursing to pulling pranks on him to beating up other people :)_

_Alex_Shep: lol remind me to stay on your good side then _

"Alright, times up you delinquents, get out." Udina said to the class. Everyone pretty much rushed out, but I was in no hurry to get home, so I stuck around to wait for Jack. I waited outside the class though, since Udina had called her over. As she opened the door, all you can hear is Udina yelling, "That's another detention for you Jacqueline!" When he called her by that name, I stared at her, as I was a bit confused.

"It's Jack asshole!" she shouted back. She sure is…..expressive. I'll give her that.

"So," I started, "I take it you two are like archenemies or something?" She looked taken aback by my accent, I guess she didn't expect it. Not a lot of people from earth transfer to this high school. Most people on earth stay there, and almost never come to Eden Prime. I do miss London. The only reason I'm here is because of my parent's business, which is incredibly successful, I might add. It's why we are the number one competition of the Lawson Corp. The downside though is that I've been transferring from school to school for the past four years.

"Pfft, he's got a stick up his ass." I heard Jack say. She is making it a habit to interrupt my thoughts. From there we walked out the school, and went our separate ways. My dad went through the trouble of getting me my own apartment, aka penthouse, I know right? Pretty cool. I made myself a quick snack and hit the shower. I came out fifteen minutes later, got dressed in a plain gray shirt, boxers, and some black shorts. I didn't have any homework, so I started to draw instead. My first day was all over the place, but it was pretty good. I cooked up some dinner and ate. I brushed my teeth and went to bed. I sighed.

"If today was a good day, can't wait till tomorrow" I thought. And with that, went to sleep.

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**A/N hope you enjoyed the beginning :) I will try to upload longer chapters, bare with me lol :D**

**(1) pad- is a futuristic kind of tablet in Mass Effect**


	2. Chapter 2

**Origins **

**Before you read, this chapter is not part of the plot, at least not yet. This is a chapter purely to give information on Shepard's background story. This does touch supernatural things, as said in the description. If you're not interesting in that side of that story, then skip the chapter. It will come up later on in the story, so if it's not for you, don't continue. If you do though, plz give some ideas and input! Fair warning, it is a bit lengthy. If you are sticking with me, let's roll! :D**

Shepard's POV

I can't say I've had an extremely easy life, regardless of my family's wealth. As I've mentioned before, I was born on earth. London, to be more exact. Earth has a lot of urban legends, from the Loch ness monster to vampires, people claimed to see them all at some point. Of course, now that we've discovered other species, the beliefs and knowledge on them has died down. Among those legends are the werewolves. Big scary wolves. The legends say that there were humans who turned into beasts during the full moon. I can assure you that is absolutely, 100%, wrong. How do I know? Because I am one. It's been my family's secret for many generations. It has its ups and downs, which is why my life isn't exactly a walk in the park. I can choose when I want to transform, but I have to change at least once a week. This secret limits my social interactions with anyone, and I say this because as much as I've tried to have a normal life, it doesn't end up working. I've had many girlfriends, a couple of flings, sure, but never a committed one. Telling someone you are a half wolf doesn't exactly inspire anyone to stay with you, especially when this person is not really interested in you anyways.

"Oh hey, just so you know I'm a werewolf, but don't worry, I don't bite." That would go soo well, wouldn't it? The only perk I suppose is not aging that quickly. Back on earth we have a pack, my dad being the alpha. My mom doesn't know about this, which might be the only reason why my parents are together in the first place. Or I'm just being a masochist that thinks that there is no chance a werewolf can have a normal life, or marriage, unless it is with another one of us. Not that I'm implying I even want to get married, mind you.

Anyways, let me tell you about my first transformation.

**** 3 Years Ago ****

"Hey dad, need help with that?" I asked. They were packing again, and they were going to stay in the Citadel for a while. Sufficed to say, packing took quite some time because of all their stuff.

"Sure, just grab that box there." Jonathan, Shepard's father said. That man could pick up 100 pound boxes like it was nothing. And you might think it's not extremely impressive, but considering his age, he should be breaking a sweat. I've always found that weird. I've tried on multiple occasions to ask him, but he simply deflects it with humor. We both kept placing boxes in the skycar for the rest of the afternoon, refusing my dad's help with some boxes. I wanted to prove to him I could do it, and I did. We had a small system going on, quite simple really. Go in the house, pick up as many things as you can, ask mom to get out of the way, and take it out and into the car. And speaking of which, I hope she made us something delicious for dinner. My mom, Hannah Shepard, taught me how to cook; my dad is not allowed anywhere near the kitchen.

"I think we're done for today, whatever is left we can leave it till tomorrow" said Jonathan.

"Alright, I was getting tired anyhow" I told my dad

We went inside, and as we both might have predicted, you can smell the scent of steak all over the house. That however, triggered an intense amount of pain. It felt like every bone in my body was moving. My dad saw this, and told my mom that he was going to take me for a quick drive. I wasn't in the position of asking why he didn't tell my mom what was going on. As he rushed me to the car, he started explaining to me what was going on.

"Alex, listen to me very carefully. I've kept something from you and your mother all these years. I am not joking about this. You are a werewolf, and you are going through your first transformation. There is no time to explain more until later." By then my dad was driving like a mad man, heading towards the countryside. I couldn't process what he had just told me, because all I could focus on was the excruciating pain I felt. I had this burning sensation all over. By the time we got there, my arms were already transforming. All I could feel was pain as all of my bones snapped and repositioned. I couldn't understand what my dad was telling me, I could only hear my own shouts. My vision began to blur, and all I could see was my dad on the same position as me: on all fours. The pain suddenly went away, and my vision cleared up again. Who knows how long it took me to transform, but it felt like days. I felt different, my vision improved and so did my sense of smell. When I looked at my dad, he was no longer human, but in his werewolf form. I backed away from him, because honestly, I was terrified. He slowly approached me, a gesture that assured me that he wouldn't hurt me I suppose. He led me into the woods where he showed me several spots he used to hunt. That day was obviously unforgettable.

The next day I woke up naked in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. I tried to move, but I was extremely sore. When I built up the strength to get up, I checked to see if I was normal. The only difference was that my eye-sight had drastically improved, my sense of smell, and no matter how sore I was, I definitely felt stronger. I heard a tree branch crack behind me, and I immediately turned around. It was my dad, fully dressed, and holding a water bottle.

"How are you feeling son?" he tried to get close to me, but I took a step back. He didn't seem surprised by my reaction, and just threw the bottle my way. I grabbed it and greedily drank the water. My throat was thanking me for that drink.

"I'm sure you want an explanation for this, don't you?" I simply nodded, not trusting my voice

"You are part of a long lineage of werewolves. What you experienced yesterday was your transformation from human to your wolf form. I'm sure I don't need to tell you the details on what a werewolf is, because you learned about them at school." Jonathan explained

"Why didn't you tell me?! Why haven't you told mom?"

"I had not told you anything because you shouldn't have gone through this until you were 16, but I guess it happened a lot earlier. Rare, but it happens. And I didn't tell your mother because she would be afraid of me, and even if she isn't she simply wouldn't understand. Those bowling nights I have with Rick? We come out here to transform."

"Rick is a werewolf too?" I asked

He simply nodded. "Now we need to get you cleaned up, we wouldn't want your mother to see you all dirty now would we? You know Hannah, she'll think the worst of this."

"Because this so isn't" I replied. My dad simply ignored the retort and gave me my clothes I hadn't noticed he had. I got dressed, and he drove us to Rick's house, where I showered and we all came up with a cover story of why we didn't come home that night. I hated lying to my mom, but I guess in the end it's probably for the best if she doesn't get involved. For the rest of the days that came after Rick and my dad taught me how to control my bipolar emotions, but most importantly my anger. They taught me other things like how to hunt or use my heightened sense of smell and sight, and the best ones, my boosted speed and strength. After a while I got used to it. The transformations seemed to go by faster every time I went through it. Everywhere we went, my dad made sure we had a place to go to every week in order to transform. I eventually forgave my dad for not preparing me for this, because this had damaged our relationship. Life seemed to go back to normal after a while, or at least as normal as it could be.

**** Present ****

Those three years were really hard, and as you now know, I have this werewolf side to deal with every day. Rick and my dad did teach me well when it came to my emotions, I'm pretty impassive about everything now. Or at least until the first day of school. Some idiot decided that picking on the new guy and punching him was a good idea. I tried to keep calm, but then there was another punch. That's when I lost it. I beat the shit out of him, along with humiliating him in front of a lot of students. I should have been suspended, but I charmed my way into simple detention. And that, is how I met Jack.


	3. Chapter 3

**So I haven't gotten any reviews yet, so that might mean it's off to a rocky start. Let me know what you dislike, and I'll fix it :) So in this chapter, we continue again with the main plot, and if anyone's waiting for the mirixshep parts, they start now cx**

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**3\. Meeting The Competition**

**Shepard's POV**

My dad has always followed the saying of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. That is why I find myself in these ridiculously expecting clothes. I should be used to it by now, but I feel out of place in these clothes. Anyhow, back to what I was saying, I currently find myself in the Lawson Estate, where a bunch of rich people have come to celebrate my dad's and Henry Lawson's success in the field of business. I of course know better. There might be a few people here who really are glad for them, don't get me wrong, but the others are here to hate. Probably just here to keep appearance.

I am a bit anti-social, which is why I find myself quietly standing beside my mom as she animatedly talks with some of the clients. I sometimes wonder if she really does get along with everyone, or if she's really good at pretending.

"Alex, why don't you be a dear and get your mother a drink" my mother asked with a smile. She always gave me that smile when she wanted to get me to do something.

"Sure thing mom." I excused myself from the small group and went to the small bar, where the bartender seemed to be missing. So, I prepared something myself. Then I thought better of it when I saw that the beverage selection wasn't that extensive. I decided to go with some Serice Ice Brandy, since both my mom and aunty Karen loved it. Someone cleared their throat behind me.

"Kid, are you even old enough to be drinking?" asked the asari with a raspy word.

"Oh, this isn't for me, it's for my mom, Hannah Shepard," I told her.

"You must be Alex! The only child!"

"Yeah, that's me, but you have me at a disadvantage here. You are..?"

"I'm Matriarch Aethyta" she replied.

"Pleasure to meet you Aethyta" I told her with a shy smile

"Oh goddess, you're not going to take _that_ to your mother, are you?" she asked as if it was the most horrifying thing in the world.

"No?"

"Here," she took the cup from me and prepared something else, "give her this, don't want her to think I'm one lousy bartender!"

I simply laughed and thanked her for the drink. I made my way over to my mom where I saw my parents and Henry Lawson conversing. Next to him, though, was possibly the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was raven-haired, pale skin with just a hint of pink on her cheeks, with perfectly shaped plumped lips, gorgeous yet cold piercing ice-blue eyes, lean muscles, and was pretty tall. She was wearing a long, royal blue dress that revealed nothing. I try not to stare at her for too long, as it may be rude. I politely cut off the conversation and gave my mom her drink.

"Thank you dear" she said

"Ah there you are Alex! There's someone I want you to meet. This is my daughter Miranda, Miranda this is Jonathan's son Alex." Henry said. To be honest, and speaking for both my father and myself. I wasn't sure since when we were at a first name bases. Hell, I don't even remember ever talking to the man other than a curt 'hello' or 'hi'. Though the introduction to his daughter did make up for it.

"What a pleasure to meet you Miranda," I say as I shake her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine Alex." That seemed to come off a bit cold, which took me by surprise. I hadn't expected that. No matter, I kept my cool anyways.

"Miranda, why don't you and Alex go hang out while the adults here discuss business matters," Henry told Miranda. She seemed very unwilling to go, which made me very uncomfortable. I did not want to be _that guy_. Miranda still did as she was told, and we both excused ourselves.

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**Shepard's POV**

We went to an empty balcony, which had a magnificent scenery. There was painful silence for a good while. Both of us taking in the view, though since she lives here, I can imagine she isn't as mesmerized as I am. I take out my omni-tool and take a picture of the scenery. This was definitely something I wanted to draw, then paint. When I turned around to look at Miranda, she was looking at me in a confused manner.

"I draw," I started to explain, "and this scenery is very beautiful, I just want to capture it with my own hand. Then possibly paint it."

"You're an artist," Miranda said, "and here I thought you were nothing more than the average rich boy."

To that, I had to make a retort. "First of all, yes I am an artist. Secondly, I'm not a boy. And lastly, since when is being rich in general your average thing?"

She actually laughed, and she had a nice laugh. I felt a sense of pride in being able to make her laugh, and I definitely wanted to hear it again.

"I suppose that's true." She said with a ghost smile. Damn, I know I just met the girl, but I think I can stare at her forever.

"Is staring all you plan on doing?" she said. I hadn't realized I was actually staring until she called me out on it.

"I'm sorry I hadn't realized I'd been staring, I didn't mean to be rude. Though I'm sure you must be used to it by now, because I'm sure a lot of guys look at you. You are quite beautiful after all." I wanted to slap myself. Had I really just said that? I could feel a blush coming along, until I saw that Miranda had looked away. I guess she might be feeling taken aback.

"I- um… thank you, Alex." She managed to say. I simply smiled at her. She slightly shivered, and that's when I noticed that the breeze had picked up. I hadn't realized it because of the whole 'you're beautiful' thing. I took off my jacket and offered it to her.

"Here, you must be freezing." I said

**Miranda's POV**

I was temporarily dumbstruck. Alex had openly complemented me and it didn't seem to bother him. Or at least I think it didn't. I turned away before he could see me blush. What in the bloody hell is going on with me? I've been like this since the introduction. He is handsome, with his brunette colored hair, styled in a neat short fashion, steal-blue eyes, tall, and he was pretty muscular. I don't think it is his physique that has me like this though. I can't point at it, but he has this slight mysterious aura about him. I feel like he is a puzzle to be solved. All I know as of now is that he's an artist, and that he thinks I'm beautiful. The made my stomach turn. Why did those words make me feel funny? I suddenly shivered as I felt a cool breeze hit me. Alex seemed to notice, as he was already taking of his jacket.

"Here, you must be freezing" he said. His jacket was really warm, and it did help a great deal.

"Thank you," really? Is that really all I can say? I wanted to mentally slap myself, but Alex didn't seem to mind my repetition of that phrase. Either that or he just didn't notice. It was probably the latter. Unlike the beginning, the silence that followed was a comfortable one. I actually enjoyed it, along with his company.

"Do you like music?" Alex said, his words breaking the silence.

"Yes," I replied, "I enjoy listening to music, helps me think when I need to solve a problem, or simply when I want to pass the time. What about you? Do you listen to music?"

"Definitely! I think it should be a crime if you didn't listen to music!" He laughed at his own joke, and I found myself laughing along. It wasn't all that funny, but I still seemed to laugh. I found it easy to relax a little around him, and it's not something I do around anyone other than my best friend Niket. I noticed he was looking at me with curious eyes examining me. However, unlike other guys, he seemed to focus solely on my face. I didn't move, allowing him to examine me. He then snapped out of it and apologized.

"Sorry, I just- your laugh, it's..." he started.

"It's what? Terrible?" I said, slightly annoyed at the comment, it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was probably what he was going to say, his silence seemed to imply just that.

"What?! No! I was going to say very serine. It has this melody to it, I like it." He finally answered.

Before I could reply to what he had just said, probably with another stupid "thank-you", my father called us in the house, saying that he was going to make a toast.

"Everyone! Everyone! May I have your attention please?" Henry asked. The waiters were going around handing everyone a glass of wine. Alex took two from a tray and handed me one.

"I'm not allowed to drink" I told him.

"It's not like you will get drunk," he whispered back, "it's simply for the toast. And you mean to tell me you've never had _one_ drink in your entire life?" he asked in a teasing tone

"And you have?" I shot back

"Doesn't answer my question, but yes, yes I have." He told me, then smiled and then looked away towards my father, who was giving a speech about how he was very thankful that his business was going so well. I mentally scoffed. He is the most hypocritical and arrogant man I have ever known. The only reason why he had a successful was because he 'got rid' of competition. It was through that fear that no one seem to rise to his company's level. The Shepard family was liked by everyone, so trying to make a move on them was just idiotic. That is why we were here today. If it wasn't for their fame, they would probably be 'dealt with' by my father. He didn't like it, I could tell, but he had to suck it up. At that, I smiled. Alex's father was now giving a small speech alongside his wife, Hannah.

"I am proud to have such a group of friends and associated who have supported me throughout the rise of my business. Without any of you, investors and clients alike, this wouldn't have been possible. I have to be honest with all of you, I never dreamed it would get this far, challenging Mr. Lawson here for the number one spot. May this become I healthy competition. Thank you all once again for being here today. I'd like to make a toast to all of you, wishing you success in your own businesses." Alex's father seemed sincere with his words, I guess I know where Alex got that from. All you can hear was the clatter of glasses as everyone drank their wine. I tried mine, and even though it did taste a bit strong, it also had this sweet flavor.

"Like it?" Alex asked

"Can't say it's terrible, though it will probably take some time to get used to."

"Are you implying you'll continue drinking?" a hint of mirth in his tone

"Yes, I am in fact. Is there a problem?" I challenged

"No, no. No problem at all." His voice seemed to be a bit distant, which caused me to look at him. He looked slightly pale, and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Alex, are you alright?" I found myself genuinely concerned

"Huh? What? Oh yeah, I'm fine, would you excuse me for a second?" and with that, he rushed off to the restroom

**Shepard's POV**

"Are you implying you'll continue drinking?" I teased Miranda

As soon as I had said that, however, I felt a sudden twinge of pain go through my body. I knew what it was, and I had to act as soon as possible. I heard Miranda ask me a question, but I couldn't really focus on that right now, I had to go somewhere secluded.

"Alex, are you alright?" I heard Miranda ask

"Huh? What? Oh yeah, I'm fine, would you excuse me for a second?" And I dashed to the restroom. I'd apologize to Miranda later, because right now I had more important matters to handle.

* * *

**Shepard's POV**

I went into the restroom and started to quickly remove my clothes. I couldn't believe this was happening right now. A transformation in the middle of a party. Thankfully the music would cover my yells, which wouldn't last that long since it happened rather quickly now. So the transformation occurred, and I don't think anyone noticed. Of course, Miranda decided to come look for me and was knocking on the door.

"Shepard, are you alright?" she asked. Shepard? Where had that come from? But now that I think about it, and it's a stab in the dark here, that she becomes incredibly polite when she's pissed off. I couldn't exactly reply, so I had to think of something quickly. I looked around the big restroom in an attempt to find something, anything, to get me out of this tight corner. In my current state, I could barely reach the sink. I managed to turn on the water, giving me just enough cover along with the outside music to change back into my normal form. Miranda began to bypass the door when she didn't get a reply.

Thankfully, my dad seemed to pick up my scent and came to my rescue.

"Ms. Lawson, I think that there is someone occupying the restroom right now." My dad said. I had never been so happy to hear his voice. I started to transform back, as I heard my dad leave with Miranda. When it was done, I put my clothes back on, and went to look for them. As I searched for them, I started to think about what I would tell Miranda. I could say that the wine rubbed me the wrong way, and that I needed to go to the restroom to prevent a public display. It wasn't a total lie, so I guess I could work with that.

I found them standing over at the bar, where they seemed to be having an awkward conversation. I walked towards them.

**Miranda's POV**

Alex made his way over to us, and even though I was kind of mad at him, I was glad he would put an end to his father's attempt to create an interesting conversation.

"Hey sorry for just leaving like that, had a small emergency," Alex told me, "thanks for keeping her company dad, but I'll take over from here." I tried not to burst out in anger when I saw how casual he was about suddenly leaving me. I took the opportunity to leave the conversation, so whether or not I was mad at him, I took the offer.

"Well, it was my pleasure speaking with you Ms. Lawson," Jonathan said and left. I waited a few moments before he left until I spoke to Alex.

"So-" I cut him off before he could say anything.

"What the hell was that?!" I whispered to him, but sending daggers at him with my eyes

"I'm sorry, the alcohol rubbed me off the wrong way and I had to go to the restroom as quickly as possible."

"Then why didn't you answer me when I went to check on you?" I pressed on

He sighed and said, "Look I'm sorry, I'll tell you the truth..." He let his sentence trail. I just looked at him expectantly

He looked me directly in the eye and began, "I just got really nervous about being around you, ok? With all the joking around and the getting to know each other," he audibly swallowed, "I just- I don't know. I felt like I would say one wrong thing and ruin what we had just worked up. And I know it's crazy, after all, we just met, but I really, really like you. And I want to get to know you better." He looked away from

I was surprised to say the least. And not just because of what he had just confessed, because now that I thought back a bit, I felt hurt when he just suddenly took off. Were his feelings that he had confessed mutual with her? I simply took his hand, and led him to the balcony where they had originally been at. I let his hand go so that I could fix the jacket he had given me earlier. He was looking at me wondering what I was going to say. He was leaning against the rail when I turned to look at him. I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I leaned against the rail right next to him. We both looked at each other, our faces merely inches away.

"I...would really like to get to know you too," I said. We both looked at each other searching each other's eyes. I am not sure who made the first move, but I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, and kissing him. It wasn't a kiss full of passion, but rather a gentle one. And it seemed to last for a long time. He had his arms around my lower back, a position that somehow made me feel _safe. _We stopped when the need of oxygen was too high. I still had my hands on his neck, and we were both smiling. We didn't say anything after that, we just stared at each other.

He looked up at the sky and I followed his actions. There were many stars that lit up the sky, and I couldn't help but think as to how we just shared our first kiss under the stars. It was accidentally romantic, but I could only describe it one way.

_Perfect. _

**A/N: I hope I did ok in this chapter. Let me know, write some reviews :D And as always, if there are any ideas out there, let me know. Thx guys! :) **

**-MKShepard **


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is for everyone who's sticking with this story and taking the time for writing reviews: the undeniable 1, nomercy58, Azrael.N, bkirt, and VelvetSundowner! Thanks guys! So regarding the chapter, for some reason I envisioned the try-out scene to have the song Supermassive Black hole by Muse instrumental in the background. More specifically, right after the sentence "The gun rang and the tests began". Not sure if you guys like that kind of music, but still. It's merely a suggestion ;) **

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**4\. Touchdown**

**Shepard's POV**

Coach Bailey blew the whistle, and we all lined up against the wall. Today were the football tryouts, and I'm expecting the quarterback position.

"Alright, listen up. Grab some gear and meet me on the field in five. Move!" Coach Bailey yelled

As I grabbed the gear, I looked around to see my competition. They all looked like they could play. At the end of the day though, appearance won't help much. Our school's team was really good, and therefore the coach set high standards for us.

"Alright, we'll begin with the endurance part of the tryouts. I want each and every one of you to give me twenty laps around the track with the gear on." Everyone was a bit skeptical about it, but they all ended up lining up in the rows. It was extremely hot outside, and the sun showed us no mercy. I tried to stabilize my breathing before I started the run. The gun rang and the tests began. Everyone took off in an attempt to show off. They didn't even have a pace, rookie mistake. If you use all of your energy in the beginning, what made them think they'd have any left for the end? But I'll give them credit for trying, as I had that one trick up my sleeve that allowed me to be really quick. Who knew being a werewolf would help in my soon to be daily life? First five laps, went by in a breeze. Then ten laps were down. Some of the guys already gave up, breathing profusely and practically throwing themselves to the ground. I hit the 15th lap, and that is when I started to sprint. I had to beat Kaiden, who for a human was doing an impressive job at almost keeping up. Almost. I came in first place in that trial, beating Kaiden by a full five minutes.

Next came the strength tests. We did weights, push-ups, ten-downs (**1**), and tackling drills. Of course, the other bigger guys got through the heavy tackling bags faster than most, but I'm not sure the team was looking for more defense. I didn't do so badly. I actually got third place. I didn't beat everyone with the tackling bags, because it would be a little too suspicious how I beat guys with nearly twice as much muscle. And one of those guys was James Vega. That guy looked like he was on steroids. Then, the last test, and the one I was waiting for, arrived. Coach Bailey wanted to see our throwing skills, and put the ones that signed up as quarterbacks into trial runs. First up was some guy named Jacob. He called the hike, but froze in place. He couldn't figure out how to carry out the task coach had given him. He got sacked. He probably knew he lost the role as soon as he hit the ground. I was up next.

My task, run it to the goal area. I hiked the ball, and immediately looked around my area. I saw an opening in the middle, so I quickly made up my mind and went for the sprint. I took off so quickly that half of the other team hardly realized I was already making my way to make that touchdown. The guy named Kaiden was hot on my tail though. I continued sprinting, with the ball securely tucked in my arms. He was about to tackle me when I dived it. I felt myself hit the ground, followed by Kaiden landing on me. I wasn't sure if I'd made it or not, but my answer came when coach yelled "Touchdown!" from all the way back in the field.

I was sweaty, dirty, and extremely tired, but it was damn worth it. I may have just guaranteed my spot in the team, and even better, the quarterback position. I poured a bottle of water on my face, and waited for the other drills to finish. At the end of the trials, Coach called us up to see who made the team.

* * *

"If you are still here, then you should be very proud of yourself as you did just complete very difficult tasks. Anyways, going straight to the point, if I call your name, get your asses over here." Coach Bailey said. He went off to calling most of the group, most of them I didn't know. He called the last person, and it wasn't me. I couldn't believe it. I had not made the team. It must've been some kind of mistake, right? I mean, I did what I was asked to do, and I most certainly passed the drills in flying colors! I was about to make my thoughts known when Coach Bailey began to talk again.

"Everyone I've called over…sorry, better luck next year." I let a breath I didn't know I was holding go, as I processed the fact that I did in fact make the team. The people who had been called, including my AP Bio. Lab partner, Conrad, left the field with bummed faces. I did feel sorry for them, because just moments ago I was feeling the way they were, but I couldn't help but feel such great joy that came over me. I didn't show it, obviously. I had to show Coach Bailey I had been confident I would make the team. Contrary to my calm exterior, everyone else, Kaiden, Garrus, James, and Thane, were all happily cheering. Coach Bailey congratulated us into making the team, and said that he would let us know what positions we got by Monday. Now that the adrenaline rush was over, I went to the locker room and hit the shower. It took me about ten minutes, I had lunch next, so there was no need to rush. When I was done I dried myself off, and started to get dressed. I had just realized I forgot by duffel bag outside. I was shirtless, but it didn't really matter, I had nothing to hide. I smirked at my own thought. I walked out and walked toward the bag. It was next to the water bottles, where Jimmy, the water boy, was trying to carry the gallons of water with no success. He was a freshman, and was kind of small. I walked over to him.

"Hey there, Jimmy right?" I asked him

He looked at me, and replied kind of nervous, "Yeah, that's me." I couldn't figure out what I had done to make him this nervous, so I figured I should ask.

"Why are you so nervous there?"

"Don't act like you don't know. You football players always mess around with me, bullying me one way or another. I really don't have time for this today." Jimmy said. It finally clicked. He thought I came over to do the same thing.

"Actually, I barely joined the team, and I came over to give you a hand," I said with a friendly smile. I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable, so I didn't touch anything until he nodded, allowing me to help him. We finished loading everything onto the cart half-way through lunch. I said goodbye to Jimmy, and went to get my bag. I opened the bag and found my shirt. I put it on, collected all my stuff, and headed towards the cafeteria.

* * *

I found Jack hanging out with her usual crew. It was her, and two other guys who liked dressing up as bikers. And here I was heading over with a navy blue muscle shirt, some running shoes, and some shorts with a sandwich in hand. When I got to the table, the two other guys left, probably because their lunch was over.

"Hey Jack," I greeted her as I sat down

"Hey Shepard! Heard you made the team, pretty bad ass." I took a bite out of my sandwich, and simply nodded. Jack and I had been hanging out at school ever since that time in detention. We've become pretty good friends. I swallowed and replied,

"Yeah, I did. I had to work _really_ hard at it to get in. There was a moment where I thought I had not made the team, but last minute Coach Bailey tells us the names he called where the ones that didn't make it. You have no idea how relieved I felt" I said and laughed.

**Jack's POV**

"Yeah, I did. I had to work _really_ hard at it to get in. There was a moment where I thought I had not made the team, but last minute Coach Bailey tells us the names he called where the ones that didn't make it. You have no idea how relieved I felt" Shepard said and laughed.

"He scared you shitless did he now?" I said, teasing him.

"Definitely," Shepard replied taking the last bite of the sandwich and swallowed, "but enough of that. How was your day?"

I did always find it interesting how he always made his accomplishments look as if they were nothing, and then gave you his full attention, showing he'd listen to whatever you'd say. Pfft, since when am I such a touchy-feely kind of person?

"It was alright, I got another detention for Udina, and didn't do anything during class, so nothing but the usual." I told him

"I see you have no problem keeping the badass rep. up," Shepard continued, "but you know, I'd like to see the other side of Jack more often. Not that there's anything wrong with this side of you! I'm just sayin'."

"Alright, but remember you asked for this," I cleared my throat and then giggled, "You know what? I'm super happy! I love the color rainbow, and glitter, and my favorite animal is a unicorn." I laughed my ass off when Shepard literally fell back in his chair. He looked so thrown off after I giggled, his face was priceless!

"Okay! You've made your point, just don't ever do that again!" He said with a serious face.

"Anyways," he continued, "I gotta go to class. I'll see you afterschool?"

"Yep."

"Okay then, see you later." It was all he said and started walking away. As he went out of the cafeteria, I found myself checking him out. He had toned muscles, and the way they showed when he flexed. Damn, was it getting hot in here? Eh, it must be. But who am I kidding? He is an incredibly sexy guy, what girl isn't after him? Too bad for them, I actually know where he lives. Nice place, and he lives _alone._ We always kick it at his place, or we go out to kick it with some other friends who are always in charge of bringing the party drinks. I must say, Shepard does know how to hold his own when it comes to alcohol. Just two days ago he beat Adrian at a game of shots. He completely passed out, while Shepard barely seemed to be getting tipsy. Just the kind of guy I like. Can't wait till later.

**A/N: Had a lot of fun with this chapter, especially doing Jack's POV. In the game, she was very direct and spontaneous, so I tried to work with that in the story. The possibilities are endless with her, so keep an eye on her ;D**

**Ten downs- a series of multiple exercises where you start off doing ten of each, then nine of each, then eight, and so on until you get to one. **


	5. Chapter 5

**5\. There Is No Going Back**

"So remember class, you have your research paper due this Monday. It's 25% of your grade, so I hope you put effort into it" Mr. Krios said. Damn, I hadn't even started that assignment! Maybe I'll ask Liara to help me out with that later on. The bell rang and school was over for the day. As usual, I went to get Jack from her PE class. She was so lucky, she had PE as her last class, and I had Cultural Diversity 1. It wasn't all that bad, but still.

"Hey Shepard! Ready to go?"

"Definitely, try outs have me exhausted." We walked out of the school, and went to the parking lot that was across from the school. I unlocked my car and drove off to my house with Jack. On our way there, I tried to get her to talk about her day, which she hated, but ended up doing anyways. I'm just that convincing.

"So how was your day?" I asked

"It was ok, after lunch the classes went by pretty fast."

"So I noticed you haven't gone to detention as of lately. I no longer have to wait an _entire_ hour for you," I said in a teasing manner.

"Well, I finally caught up with my detentions. And since I have a better place to be now, I don't bother getting more." She said looking at me. I thought I saw a bit of mischief in her eyes as she said it, but I wasn't exactly looking at her, I had to keep my eyes on the road.

* * *

I pulled up in my drive way and turned off the car. I went into my apartment with Jack behind me.

"Hey Jack, I'm going to hit the shower. I won't be long."

"Alright, I'll find something to do." She replied

I walked into my room and to the bathroom. I stayed in the shower for ten minutes, then went to my room to get dressed. I put on a black V-neck T-shirt, some boxers, and some jeans. I went back downstairs, and we went into our "routine mode". She went into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of beer, and I went to start working on my homework. I wasn't a nerd or anything, but I had no intention of repeating a grade. She handed me a beer, which I took and mumbled a _thanks._ As usual, she tried to interrupt my work by closing the books. I tried getting her to do SOME work, but failed miserably. Every time she came over I hardly got any work done, and this time was no exception. So, I gave up for the rest of the evening.

"Alright, that's it. I give up trying to get any homework done around you." I said with a sigh.

"About time! I was getting bored."

"You're bored? Really? After all that teasing?"

"Yup" she said simply.

"Well, now that you've gotten your way, what do you want to do?" I really was tired, but I knew Jack wasn't going to leave me alone so I will just go with it.

"You remember that part of the woods we went to for that one girl's party?"

"As always, so full of specifics," I said sarcastically, "do you know how many parties we've been to that were A, hosted by a girl, and B, in the woods?"

"Don't be such an ass Alex. I'm talking about the one by the lake, where I dared you to tell that one chick Ashley that she was hot?"

"Oh how could I forget? She kept flirting with me all week long, till she caught interest in that Vega guy. Thanks for that."

"Haha! Lighten up would you? Well anyways, let's go there!"

"Right now? Do you have any idea of what time it is?"

"Don't care, we're going." She said matter-of-factly.

"Alright, but I'm driving."

"Talk about taking the fun out of life." It was already getting dark, and I could see the sun setting. By the time we got there it was already dark. I parked the car a couple of feet away from the benches.

* * *

"So Jack, where do we go?" I told her, and she let go of my waist.

"Right. Well, come on!" I don't like secrets or being left in the dark, but that was simply something Jack did. She was very…cryptic, so to speak. We walked towards the benches, and the place looks exactly the same, minus the high school party littering. It had a couple of benches connected to tables, and a shelter surrounding them, in case it rained. The lake was close by, making this place the perfect spot for a summer party. There was a light breeze, but it was still a pretty warm night. Jack started walking past the benches however, and I saw her walking toward the lake.

"Jack? What are we doing here?" I asked her

"What do you think genius? We're going for a swim." She said with this huge grin on her face.  
"Alright then." We both got undressed and raced to the lake. I won, of course.

"Ha! I won" I said smugly.

"I let you win, thought it would hurt your ego if you didn't." I splashed her face and started to swim away from her laughing. She didn't let it go though, and started swimming towards me. I slowed down and let her catch me, since I was curious as to what she would do. She finally caught up with me, and grabbed me by wrapping her arms around my neck. She pushed my head under water, but not with enough force to actually drown me. Though, I do have my doubts on whether or not she would if I got her mad. We kept the constant playing around like a bunch of kids for a few hours. I was finally able to convince her that we should get going, and we got out to get dressed. Our clothes got wet, but we really didn't care. We were about to head to the car when Jack grabbed my arm,

"Shepard, hold on. Can I tell you something?" Jack asked. I was taken aback by her tone of voice. It was as if she was nervous or something.

"What's wrong?" I asked. She was my best friend, and if there was something bothering her I'd like to help.

"It's just that I- I think I," she couldn't finish her sentence. "Ugh, what I'm trying to say is that I," At this point she looked extremely frustrated with herself. I put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"It's ok take your time." It wasn't even two seconds after I had told her that, that her hands came up to my face and pulled me towards her and started kissing me. I was shocked to say the least, and was as still as a statue. I then found myself responding to the kiss, setting off warning bells in my head. We broke away from each other, and I tried to process what had just happened. I still had the sensation of her soft lips on mine, and I couldn't deny that I had felt something when we kissed. Not in the cheesy way, but I definitely felt something. The only problem was that this was all a mistake. Why? Because it didn't end there. We kissed again, with a bit more…enthusiasm. It started off as a simple kiss, then a make out session, but we took it a step further. She took off my shirt, and kissed me again. My kisses began to trail to her jawline and then her neck. We both unbuttoned her blouse and threw it somewhere. The exploring continued, both of us completely naked. Our kisses were full of passion, as the need for the other kept growing. Moans left both of us as we drew pleasure to the other. It all happened so fast, that at this point there was no return. This went on for what felt like hours. Then it was over, and my brain caught up with what I had just done.

* * *

"_Miranda is going to kill me,"_ I thought.

"That was, unexpected" was all I could say as I got dressed.

"I don't think it was, considering you _complied._" She said with a smile I had never seen on her face. I forced a smile back, and she tangled our hands together as we walked back to the car. We drove off towards her house. It was quiet trip, and the wheel in my brain were going on over drive.

"_How the hell did I just do that? What am I getting myself into? I kissed Miranda like two weeks ago, and we've been going out since then. How the hell am I gonna tell her that I just had sex with someone else? I went along with it, and I won't blame Jack for this. How could I betray Miranda like that? I also betrayed Jack." _ I kept slapping myself mentally, and if I was actually slapping myself, I'd probably have a concussion by now. I pulled up in front of Jack's how. I turn around to look at her, and she's fallen asleep. I try to wake her up by gently shaking her.

"Hey we're here" I whisper

She stretches and says, "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." She leans forward and gives me a chaste kiss and got out of the car. I wanted to drive off a cliff. I turned the car back on and left.

* * *

When I got home all I wanted to do was sleep. It was a little passed midnight, and today's events were not kind to me. I checked my phone, and found five missed calls from Miranda. Should I call her back? The time-zone over there was one hour behind, so I think she's still awake. But how can I call her back right now? I might be getting over dramatic, though. It was just a spur of the moment right? Except it wasn't. I began to realize that I do have feelings for Jack that passed our friendship, and I realized that as we kissed the second time. She's not very open with her emotions, but she's independent and has a strong character. Much like Miranda actually. I guess I know my type. Screw it, I'm calling her. I dialed the number and called her. My heart was drumming in my chest. The phone rang once, then twice. When it rang the third time I was ready to hang up, probably making things easier for me. But with MY luck, she answered.

"Hello?" She answered

"Hey Miranda, I just saw your calls, sorry I didn't answer." I was still debating on whether to tell her or not.

"Its fine don't worry. I was just calling to ask how you were" Her voice kind of cheery. _I am pretty miserable right now._

"I'm better now that I got to hear your voice." _It was actually the opposite._

She laughed, which under normal circumstanced would have made me feel happy, but instead is stabbing me in the chest.

"Well, I'm glad I have that effect on you." She said

"So what were you doing you couldn't get to the phone?" she asked me conversationally. She had no idea how that question could get her to hate me. And I can't live with myself hurting her, but I already had and she didn't know it.

"I was just working on a canvas, I had this idea and I just dived right in." I told her trying to make myself sound as cheerful as possible.

"That sounds like quite the idea. You'll have to show me next time I see you. So how did the try outs go?"

"I sure will. And they went great, I got a spot on the team." I said

"That's good to hear! We should meet up next week and celebrate" I can almost hear her smile. It surprised me how she went from a closed off person to this open, caring, and enthusiastic one.

"Yeah, sure, definitely!"

"Is something wrong Alex?"

"What? Why do you ask?" I try to sound as casual as possible.

"You sound, tense."

"It's nothing," I assure her, "I'm just tired."

"Oh, well, I'll call you tomorrow, and let you get some sleep." She sounded almost disappointed, which made me feel that much worse.

"Okay, well, goodnight. Sweet dreams."

"Thanks, likewise." And she hangs up. I let out a frustrated sigh and gracelessly flop on the mattress. This is so going to bite me in the ass. I turned off the lights in my room. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. I kept tossing and turning. Guilt is eating away at me. I guess it's a good thing, because it would be even worse if I didn't feel guilty.

Well, if I'm not gonna sleep, might as well do something productive or distracting. Normally I'd draw, I loved expressing my thoughts with sketches. But right now, I went instead for playing the guitar. I played around with a few notes, and passed the rest of the morning there. The alarm clock rang, and I walked over to it and turned it off. Time for school, I guess. I hit the shower, and got prepared for the day. This wasn't going to be a good week.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't that bad. I rewrote it a couple of times, and settled with this. I am hoping to build the tension between the three, and I'm taking any ideas on how you guys want me to do that. Just PM me :) thanks again for reading cx plz review *puppy eyes***

**-MKShepard**


	6. Chapter 6

**6\. Indecisions **

**Decided to take more time in between chapters, so that instead of updating the chapters in a flying manner, I can make longer chapters. Hopefully it'll take me at most a week to upload in between chapters. This chapter being the exception lol I apologize for taking so long. I was out of the country with ZERO internet, it was painful :'( but thanks for sticking with the story. And I know, I know, you're probably fuming with Shepard right now, so am I . Smh... Anyways, since I just got back, here is a teaser on the next chapter. Each section is a bit spread apart, but the general idea is there. Let me know what you think :)**

* * *

**Shepard's POV**

I got on my motorcycle and went to school. I got there early, so I decided to look for Liara. I checked nearly the entire school area, avoiding areas Jack hangs out in, of course, and finally found her by the lockers on the second floor. She was with a friend, Tali, and I know this because she is in my IT class. Anyway, I walked up to them and tried to be as friendly looking as possible as I did.

"Um hi there, Liara right?" I said with a smile. She looked at me and started blushing furiously.

"Hi- yes, I'm Liara. This is my friend, Tali," She said pointing to Tali who was in front of her.

"Yeah, I know her, she's in my fifth period. Hey there Tali. Listen, I was wondering if you're not busy today afterschool. I need some help with Mr. Krio's assignment. I asked his son Thane, but I don't think he'll even do it. I really need your help, you're like my last hope here." I don't think that will be enough to get her to help me though.

"Yeah, sure, um I'm available. I'll meet up with you afterschool." Liara said.

Never mind.

"Thank you so much! I owe you one. And now that that is settled, I'll pick you up afterschool so we can go to my house. Here's my address, in case your parents ask for it. I'll be seeing you soon." I said with a charming smile. But I think I overdid it…Liara isn't moving, and even though Tali is wearing a helmet I'm pretty sure she's blushing. Oops.

"It was meant to be purely professional. I didn't mean anything by it." I tried, but it seemed to make no difference, but it was better than nothing I suppose.

"Um of course, yeah. I'll just let my parents know." Liara said

"Alright then, glad that's settled, thanks," I smiled again, this time a little more friendly and less flirtatious, "I'll see you afterschool. See you guys around."

"Bye!" They said in unison

After I talked with Liara, I went to class. I walked into the class, but instead of sitting in my usual spot next to Jack, I sat in an empty seat at the front of the class. I briefly turned around, Jack gave me this curious look that said, "The hell's wrong with you?" I just shrugged at her and turned around. I had to get my thoughts straight, so I was trying to stay both Jack-free, and Miranda-free. I know I'm being selfish, because this is very unfair to them, but what else could I do? Telling them about each other is suicide. They'll either tear each other apart, tear me apart, or possibly even both. Jack and I will need to talk about what happened yesterday, but I have no clue on what I'll say. Great, now I'm starting to make my love-life sound like that old chick flick Twilight from the 21st century. The bell rang, signaling the end of this period. I tried getting out of class without Jack catching up to me, but with my luck, that didn't happen. Just as I was walking out the door, a grip that was unmistakably Jack's pulled me aside. We just stood there until everyone left.

"Hey I have to get to class, can't be-"

I was cut off by Jack's kiss.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Miranda's POV (later on after part 1)**

Today was my last rehearsal before I perform at Madison Square back on Earth. My instructor, Ms. Elizabeth said that my piano skills were at their peak, giving me a boost of confidence I seemed to need. I am nervous, I must admit, but not because I have stage fright, this isn't my first time performing. It's because I invited someone I really want to impress: Alex. He and I have been talking less as of lately, but I'm not quite sure why. There's always something that comes up, homework, football practice, and he just blows me off. I'm beginning to wonder if they're true his excuses. They have been getting very frequent, and I'm no moron.

I barely got the chance to invite him to my performance, and it was a lot of work convincing him to go. I would have thought he'd easily agree, because that's what boyfriends do, right? Is that what we are? I'm not even sure. And considering the way he's been avoiding me lately, I'm beginning to wonder if he's really interested or not. I've been debating on whether or not to talk to Niket about this. He and I have been friends for the longest, but even though I act like I don't know, I do know that he has feelings that go past those of friendship towards me. Aside from Niket and Alex, I don't have any other friends. I don't trust easily. But that puts me in a difficult position. I can't talk to Alex because he is the problem, sort of. And I don't want to talk to Niket about it for obvious reasons. I've got acquaintances here and there, but I don't think I trust any of them enough to talk about this. There is one, however: Jacob. He knows a lot about me, as he is an ex of mine. It didn't last, I found him a little too clingy, and I wasn't looking for something serious at the time. That doesn't mean he's a bad guy though. Quite the contrary really. He's honest, kind, a total gentleman. We have mutual respect, so I guess I can talk to him about this.

My door opened and my father walked in.

"Miranda, I need you to attend a dinner with me at Mr. Harper's home. He is an important investor, so I expect your behavior to be at its best." Father said.

"Of course father. Is there something you've chosen as my attire for the dinner?" I asked. When it came to these events, my father selected everything, every bloody detail. Right down to what I would wear.

"No, not this time. It isn't a business dinner, so I won't choose your attire. However, do not embarrass me and wear something unpleasant. We leave in three hours."

"Yes father."

And with that, he left. I simply sighed. With him it's always been "do this", "do that", and my only response is "yes father." I try to defy him on every corner. This has been my goal ever since I realized I would never be able to be my own person with him always on my back. But back to my original dilemma. I guess I'll be confiding in Jacob about this. But what if I'm overreacting? God, I've never been so…dependent on someone. Wanting their attention, it's new for me because I pride myself in being extremely independent. But screw it, I need someone's advice, and who better than a guy I dated two years ago? This is giving me a headache.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N: So hope you guys liked it, if not leave any recommendations on the reviews or PM me :) I'm very open when it comes to ideas. Quick fyi though, don't worry, it won't stay this cheesy, it's just for this chapter, as regret is still sinking in with Shepard (Alex). I'm just getting some drama in here; it won't be too exaggerated (: I have it all planned out so bear with me, gotta get my momentum back lol anyways, once again, thanks for reading, plz let me know wat you think. Thanks,**

**-MKShepard**


	7. Chapter 7

**6\. Indecisions **

**To those who read the teaser, this is the continuation of it, so feel free to skip to where we left off. This chapter is heavily Shepard's POV, and heavily fluffed. I normally avoid unnecessary fluff, but I felt that fluff should be the follow-up of the previous chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Shepard's POV**

I got on my motorcycle and went to school. I got there early, so I decided to look for Liara. I checked nearly the entire school area, avoiding areas Jack hangs out in, of course, and finally found her by the lockers on the second floor. She was with a friend, Tali, and I know this because she is in my IT class. Anyway, I walked up to them and tried to be as friendly looking as possible as I did.

"Um hi there, Liara right?" I said with a smile. She looked at me and started blushing furiously.

"Hi- yes, I'm Liara. This is my friend, Tali," She said pointing to Tali who was in front of her.

"Yeah, I know her, she's in my fifth period. Hey there Tali. Listen, I was wondering if you're not busy today afterschool. I need some help with Mr. Krios's assignment. I asked his son Thane, but I don't think he'll even do it. I really need your help, you're like my last hope here." I don't think that will be enough to get her to help me though.

"Yeah, sure, um I'm available. I'll meet up with you afterschool." Liara said.

Never mind.

"Thank you so much! I owe you one. And now that that is settled, I'll pick you up afterschool so we can go to my house. Here's my address, in case your parents ask for it. I'll be seeing you soon." I said with a charming smile. But I think I overdid it…Liara isn't moving, and even though Tali is wearing a helmet I'm pretty sure she's blushing. Oops.

"It was meant to be purely professional. I didn't mean anything by it." I tried, but it seemed to make no difference, but it was better than nothing I suppose.

"Um of course, yeah. I'll just let my parents know." Liara said

"Alright then, glad that's settled, thanks," I smiled again, this time a little more friendly and less flirtatious, "I'll see you afterschool. See you guys around."

"Bye!" They said in unison

After I talked with Liara, I went to class. I walked into the class, but instead of sitting in my usual spot next to Jack, I sat in an empty seat at the front of the class. I briefly turned around, Jack gave me this curious look that said, "The hell's wrong with you?" I just shrugged at her and turned around. I had to get my thoughts straight, so I was trying to stay both Jack-free, and Miranda-free. I know I'm being selfish, because this is very unfair to them, but what else could I do? Telling them about each other is suicide. They'll either tear each other apart, tear me apart, or possibly even both. Jack and I will need to talk about what happened yesterday, but I have no clue on what I'll say. Great, now I'm starting to make my love-life sound like that old chick flick Twilight from the 21st century. The bell rang, signaling the end of this period. I tried getting out of class without Jack catching up to me, but with my luck, that didn't happen. Just as I was walking out the door, a grip that was unmistakably Jack's pulled me aside. We just stood there until everyone left.

"Hey I have to get to class, can't be-"

I was cut off by Jack's kiss. She then pulled away.

"Sometimes you talk too much" she said grinning

"Hey um, we can't hang out today afterschool, because I'm going to be working on my assignment for Krios."

"I can go with you, I promise I won't distract you…and if I do, it's not my fault. Maybe do a little extracurricular activity afterwards."

"I can't, Liara is coming over to help me."

"And what kind of "help" is that?" Jack asked her tone hitting either angry or jealous, I wasn't sure.

"Look, it's not like that. She's really smart and a nice girl, which is why I asked her to help me WITH THE ASSIGNMENT. Nothing more." The bell rang, signaling I was late.

"Look, I have to go. Liara is going over to help me, nothing more. I'll see you around." With that, I left to class.

"_Well I feel like a total jerk now!" _I thought.

**Jack's POV **

"Look, I have to go. Liara is going over to help me, nothing more. I'll see you around." Alex told me and walked away.

What-the-fuck. He just blew me off! After I thought- no, you're not the touchy-feely kind of girl, get yourself together. He still hasn't said a word about what happened yesterday, and he's practically acting like it didn't happen. Maybe it was just a casual thing to him. It's not my first time having casual sex, but I didn't expect that from him. I just thought it would be more to him than simple sex. Pfft, I should've known better. All guys that "listen to you" and "are there for you" are after one thing: sex. **(1)** I can't believe I thought this was any different. This shit is too complicated. Fine, he wants it to be that way then its fine by me. I don't need this emotional shit. I left towards my second period, which I coincidentally had with Liara. I'll have a little chat with her.

I walked in Udina's class and sat by Liara. She got nervous, I could tell. Good.

"Hey Liara, I heard you and Shepard are going to his place later on today."

"Umm yes, we are. He needed help with Mr. Krios's assignment, and I told him I'd help."

"And how exactly do you plan on "helping" him?"

"What are you referring to? I'm only going to help him with his report! Your insinuations are unnecessary."

"Listen blue, I find out you did more than what you're supposedly going to do, I'll punch that pretty little face of yours until even your own parents don't recognize you." **(2)**

"Jaqueline you show up late to my class, and disrupt your fellow classmates. And one who actually wants to learn no less! That's a detention for you!" Udina told me.

"For the millionth time, it's JACK asshole! Oh, and that detention, you can shove it up your-"

"Another detention! You know what? I'm tired of this, I'm sending you straight to Principal Anderson's office right now!" Udina practically had smoke coming out of his ears. I simply got up and walked out of the class.

"You better be heading to his office right now! Don't even think about wandering off."

"Whatever!" I said.

_**After School…**_

**Shepard's POV**

*Bell rings*

"Wow, watch it!" Someone coming out of Mr. Anderson's office bumped into me.

"Fuck you."

"Jack? What were you doing in Anderson's office?"

"The hell do you care? You can stop pretending you actually care about half the shit that happens to me, if sex is all you're after, just tell me." Okay, this I did not see coming.

"What are you talking about? Where is this even coming from?"

"Yesterday you were all "tell me about your problems Jack", and today you won't even sit next to me. I got the message loud and clear."

"I- you're right. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." What the hell are you doing?

"Oh really?" Jack's attitude towards me was changing, so I guess that's a point in my favor.

"Yup, anything you have in mind." Why am I still talking?!

"I have several ideas..."

"Great, we'll do whatever you want tomorrow. I have a paper to complete, remember?" I told her smile. I have never, EVER, contemplated suicidal thoughts. Right now the ideas are just springing.

"I'm gonna make this clear Shepard, I'm not asking for a commitment here, but I don't share. No funny business with the nerd."

"None." She leaned towards me and gave me a quick peck.

"Good," she smiles, "don't you have a report or something to get done?"

"Right! Well, I'll see you later." Miranda, you ever find out about this you'll flip. **(3)**

Once I left I went straight to looking for Liara. I found her waiting for me next to my bike.

"So are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I told my parents I'll be going over to a friend's house."

"Ok, I'll drop you off before 8. Sound good?"

"That's fine."

"Ok then, shall we?" I say pointing at the motorcycle beside us.

When we got to my place, we got straight to work. It felt weird not being interrupted, it was part of my routine now, and I liked routine. I also tucked away the beer. Anyway, we got through the rest of the evening pretty quickly, even got the report done. Now I'm here dropping her off. I pulled up to her place, and cut the engine.

"Here we are, once again Liara thanks so much for your help."

"I was glad to help Shepard." Liara said with a shy smile.

"Well, I guess I owe you one. So if you ever need anything, let me know."

I waited until she got inside before I took off. For once something worked out for me this week. When I walked into my living room, I took off my jacket and set my keys down. I went straight for the shower.

The warm water started hitting my back, and my thoughts started forming.

_So, a reflection of my day. It was…better than I hoped. Jack doesn't hate me, and I got Mr. Krios's done. The downside, Jack doesn't hate me now, but she will if I keep this whole double-dating thing going on. Another thing I have to get straight. What are my feelings towards Jack? How do I feel about Miranda? Speaking of which…_

I turned off the shower, dried myself off, and wrapped a towel around my waist. I say down on my bed as I started dialing my phone.

*_Ring* *Ring* *Ring*_

"Hello?" a sleepy Australian accent rang through the room.

"Hey Miri, its Alex. Just wanted to check in on you."

"Alex? Hi *yawns* how are you?"

"I'm good, and you? How's school?"

"That's good to hear. I'm good as well thanks. And school is exhausting. I can't wait to get out for the break." In her defense, Henry put her in "the best school money could buy", so it can't be easy to be a student there.

"That's not good. Have you thought about taking a small vacation?"

"I've considered it, yes, but I doubt my father will let me take them."

"I'll talk to him, convince him to let you take a break. Maybe we can both take a vacation and spend it on earth. What do you think?" A couple of hours ago I'm kissing Jack, now I'm doing this… But this feels right.

**Miranda's POV**

"…Maybe we can both take a vacation and spend it on earth. What do you think?" Alex said.

It was a tempting offer. I've been wanting to spend time with him since we last saw each other. I'm not usually one for clichés, but I don't know, I feel good around him.

"Miranda?" Well, here goes nothing.

"Do it."

"Wait, you're actually agreeing to this?" I can hear the mirth in his voice.

"Oh shut up, and convince my father will you?" He started to laugh hysterically.

"Am I missing something?"

"Haha, no, I just love messing with you. And I'm already messaging him a list of reasons why he should let you come with me to earth."

"Multitasking, I'm impressed." When I heard him mumbling I simply laughed. Something I do often with him.

"There, you have permission to go." He said triumphantly

"Just like that?" I can't even begin to explain why I was skeptical about this.

"Well…" See?

"Well what?"

"We'd be sharing a room. He said he didn't feel we should be spending too much on this trip. And that he'd take care of the room payment."

"What's wrong with us sharing a room?"

"I just thought that you- you know you would- it's just that-"

"Alex, breathe and say it." I can hear him inhale and exhale

"I just thought you'd want a bit more privacy than that."

"That would normally be true, but it's a good opportunity to get to know each other better."

"That's true I suppose."

"Are YOU okay with this?"

"Yeah, I think it's a great idea!"

"Good, because I'm taking the vacation starting this weekend. So cancel all of your plans." He simply chuckled to what I said.

"The sooner the better I suppose. Then it's settled then. We're going to earth and we're going to have the best time. I can't wait to see you Miranda."

"I can't wait to see you either Alex." I started smiling like a bloody idiot when he said my name.

"Well I have to go, and you should get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow to discuss this a bit more?"

"Alright, goodnight."

"Goodnight." And I clicked. I had been laying down on my bed throughout the conversation, so I just set my omni-tool on the night stand. Getting comfortable wasn't a problem, as I was already covered with warm blankets. As soon as I closed my eyes, sleep quickly took over me.

**A/N: Okay, remember how I said the drama wouldn't last that long? Well, I assure you, on the next one there won't be as much as here. Since this is sort of an aftermath, I tried my hardest to put drama in it. On a quick note though, just wanted to say thanks for the reviews, no matter how long ago they were! Appreciate feedback, both positive feedback, and constructive ones :) Anyways, let me know what you guys think about this chapter. Looking forward to hearing from you guys! Please excuse any grammar error. I'm working on this until like 3 in the morning. Thanks! And now back to the notes:**

**In the game, Jack casually asks Shepard if he wanted to have sex with her, and if you deny her, she says she doesn't understand him. That most guys just want that from her when they show some sort of affection towards her. That is why now that Alex is giving her the cold shoulder, she assumes that he got what he wanted from her and will now downright ignore her. Poor Jack :( What do you guys think about his behavior?**

**Jack becomes jealous of Liara, and becomes aggressive towards her. What do you guys think? Is it out of character? Let me know :) **

**Just like Jack, Miranda made it clear in the game she doesn't share Shepard. I think we can all agree he'll be pulverized if Miranda found out about what's going on. She's getting suspicious though, so stay tuned! **

**-MKShepard**


	8. Chapter 8

**7\. For The Record…**

**A/N: A lot of dialogue in this chapter, and only minor moments of drama. I promised there wouldn't be much of that in this chapter, so it is mostly about a day before the vacation trip. Werewolf Shepard scenes included in this chapter!**

**Miranda's PO****V**

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

I slammed my hand on the annoying alarm without lifting my face from my comfy pillow.

"Ugh, why can't I just sleep in?" I thought. It was Saturday after all, but of course my father chose Saturdays for my dancing, piano, and biotic training.

"Miranda get up, your instructor will be here soon." Father said. Speak of the devil…

"Yes father, good morning."

"Also, has Alex told you about the trip you and him will be having for the next couple of weeks?"

"Yes, he was the one who suggested it. I was speaking with him when he asked you for permission."

"Good, then get through your lessons and start packing, you leave tomorrow for Sydney."

"Sydney? I assumed we'd go to London, where Alex was born."

"I own a few hotels back on earth, some in London, but Sydney is where I have my top hotel. I've already informed Alex, and Jonathan has agreed to this trip. It's all been taken care of."

Of course it had.

"So when I ask your permission to go out to a friend's house, which happens to be only a few blocks down, you don't let me. But suddenly Alex asks you to let me leave to the Sol system, which is light years away, you just agree?!" I asked my father.

I wasn't upset that I was going to earth with Alex for a bit, quite the contrary. But I didn't feel like my father genuinely wanted me to have a break. I felt like he had a motive for allowing me to go, as he always does. So why am I upset? Because I can't ever do something without him getting something out of it. Worst part was that it had me wondering if Alex was a part of my father's plans. I want to get those doubts out of my head, but it seems to make sense somehow. Whenever a guy tried to hit on me, father nearly killed them. Then he's suddenly on board with this relationship…if that's what it is, it seems a bit suspicious to me. And if Alex wasn't in with my father's plans, then we were both pawns in his little game. I don't like that.

"Lower your tone with me Miranda, I'm your father! And as for your question, Alex is the heir of the Shepard company, he's someone who actually has a promising future. He's someone I can entrust my legacy to. Unlike that low life friend of yours, Niket. Besides, I don't see the problem, you like the boy, don't you?"

"He did not have the privilege of being born to a family of wealth, you can't blame him for that. And Alex, yes, I do like him. But-"

"There you have it, end of discussion." With that Henry, left my bedroom.

A part of me was glad that Alex really wasn't involved with my father, and the other part was angry with the fact that we were being used. And…legacy? That's all I am to him. Not a daughter, not even a human being.

I sighed. I was getting tired of this. Even before mom passed away when she gave birth to Oriana, my father has been a man with an ego that suffocates everyone in the room. Just one more year and off to college, the upside of all this. I can't help but think of how Ori will have to endure all this when I leave.

My phone started to ring, bringing me away from my thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hey" It was Alex, and judging by his voice, was smiling. This certainly brightened my day.

"Hey, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I said teasingly

"Oh you know, just wondering what my _special someone_ was doing. Have you talked to her lately?" **(1) **Yeah, still definitely not use to that.

"I haven't no, but I'll make sure to tell her that her _special someone _called."

"Why thank you, how kind of you. Oh! Could you do me the favor and let her know I'm also at her door way?"

What?

Keeping the call on, I walked towards my window and slightly opened the curtains. He was, as he said, standing in front of the door but I couldn't see him properly. I hung up and went to open the door. As soon as I did, I was greeted by the sight of Shepard wearing sunglasses, a simple black t-shirt and some jeans, with a huge smile on his face. And he was greeted by the sight of me wearing…a wrinkled shirt, messy hair, and short shorts. Oh God, this was embarrassing!

"Oh um, did I-"

I slammed the door on his face and ran upstairs to make myself look more presentable. I nearly tripped on my way up. I went through dozens of shirts, but none of them seem to look right today. By the time I was done, my room looked like it had been hit by a tornado.

* * *

**Shepard's POV**

It was about two minutes after Miranda hung up that she opened the door. She looked like she had woken up not too long ago, which made me feel bad.

"Oh um, did I-" and the door slammed in my face. I was left standing alone.

"Wake you up…" I said to myself, "That wasn't how I thought it would go."

She probably went to get dressed or something. I decided to wait around, and sat down on a metal park bench on the porch. I started checking my omni-tool meanwhile I waited.

"Who are you?" I heard a little girl say.

I looked up to see who it was, and it was this little girl, about 7 or 8, wearing a pink skirt and a white teddy bear shirt. She looked a lot like Miranda.

"Hi there, I'm Alex Shepard. Who are you?" I said with a friendly smile

"I'm Oriana Lawson, nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too Oriana. Are you Miranda's sister?"

"Yup, I'm smaller than her, because she's my older sister."

"Really? I think you're pretty tall!"

"I'm one of the smallest girls in my class."

"Well, you know what? You are definitely not short, you are fun size! You're part of the cool people." I said patronizingly

"Does that mean you're not cool? You are pretty big."

"Afraid not squirt, you are a lucky girl to be part of that club."

"That's cool! So, are you Miri's friend, or-"

Miranda finally opens the door again, but Oriana continues

"Or are you her prince?" she asks with a cute giggle.

"Ha ha I'm hoping I fall under the "prince" category" I say looking straight at Miranda. She looked a bit flustered.

"Hey Ori, why don't go inside and play?" said Miranda

"Okay! Bye Alex!" she said, and I waved her a bye. Oriana, or Ori, ran inside the house with a stuffed animal I hadn't noticed until now.

"Hey, sorry about earlier, I was a mess."

Laughing I said, "Don't worry about it, your sister kept me company. She's adorable."

"That she is" she said smiling.

I leaned forward and kissed her. It had been a while since I last saw her, and I was determined to make up for lost time. She didn't protest, in fact, I think she was going along with it. She never ceases to amaze me.

"Hmm I've missed you" she said slightly breathless

"I've missed you too"

"Not that I'm complaining, but what brings you around today? I thought we leave tomorrow. Or at least that is what my father oh-so-pleasantly told me this morning right after he practically handed me a schedule for today."

"Well, I thought we can spend the day preparing together for the trip. I already informed my teachers I'd be out for a week or two." I did in fact tell my professors that I'd be absent for a while, but they weren't the only ones I told, I had to tell Jack. Of course I didn't tell her about Miranda, but after a while she accepted my dull reasoning behind it. But right now back to Miranda, I can't focus on Jack.

"Alex, as much as I'd love to, I can't. I have a lot to do today. I have piano lessons, dance lessons, and…" she hesitated, and I had to ask

"And what?"

"…"

"You can tell me, whatever it is. You might as well tell me now, remember I'll be around you all day every day for the next two weeks, so if you don't tell me, I'll just get it out of you."

"Is that a challenge _Shepard_?"

"It definitely is, _Lawson_. But all jokes aside, tell me. You can trust me."

Miranda was hesitating to tell me.

"It's... biotic training. I'm a biotic. But I'm not a freak!" she told me as she hugged herself in a protective manner. **(4)**

I know this is insensitive, but I started laughing. She looked at me like I had grown two heads.

"What's so funny?" After my laughter had died down, I finally answered her.

"That's what you were worried about?" I grabbed her hands, "you'll never be a freak to me. Never be afraid to be the real you around me, I won't judge you. Believe me, _you're _no monster. I love everything about you, so this doesn't change anything."

We both froze. I had just used the word "love" in my sentence. Where'd that come from? Maybe I didn't necessarily say "I love you", but it was pretty close, with the word _love_ being used.

"I um, I'm so sorry Miranda. I don't know where that came-"

"No, no. It's ok, really." We both just stood there awkwardly looking at each other, and the suddenly very interesting floor. It stayed that way for about 5 minutes when Miranda's piano instructor showed up at the door.

"Good morning Miranda, who's your friend?"

"Good morning Ms. Samara. This is Alex, my…boyfriend." When I heard her say it I felt my chest fill with a sense of empowerment.

"Pleasure to meet you Ms. Samara, I'm Alex Shepard." I said shaking her hand.

"My, he's a polite one. Well, I'll leave you two alone, I'll be inside setting up. Be there in five minutes Ms. Lawson."

"Okay, I'll be with you in a sec." With that, Ms. Samara left us again alone on the porch.

"So boyfriend, huh?" I said teasing

"Yes, boyfriend. I don't share. Is there a problem?" Yeah, it's called Jack.

"Nope, non-whatsoever. In fact, I think I can get use to that." I said as I pulled her in for a hug

"Good, because I haven't ever given anyone but you that title."

"Neither have I." I say with a smile, even though guilt is clawing its way to the surface again. I do my best to push it down though.

"I find that hard to believe. I bet you've told the same thing to many other girls before me." I knew this was a trap, but hey, I usually screw myself over so I'll go with it.

"No, I get that you find me super attractive, which is why you said what you just said, but you're my first _actual girlfriend. _The rest have been girlfriends who merely got that title because it was customs I guess."

She playfully slapped my shoulder

"You are an arrogant ass." Her accent heavy in that sentence

"But you love it." I say smugly. "Now don't you have a class to get to? Don't wanna keep Ms. Samara waiting. I'll drop by during lunch so we can go get something to eat. I hear biotics burn a lot of calories, so it sounds like a reasonable plan, right?" I receive a chaste kiss

"Sounds good. I'll see you in a bit then." She started walking back into the house, but I noticed she was walking with a…sway in her hips. Tease. I simply shook my head and smiled.

I walked to my motorcycle and took off. I wouldn't be meeting with Miranda until at least five hours from now, so that gave me the chance to go do something very important.

* * *

***30 minutes later* **

I parked my motorcycle in front of the decently sized cabin in the middle of nowhere. As I was walking towards the front door, it opened. I just stood there, looking at the figure standing in front of me.

_**Flashback: (Third Person POV)**_

_Two children were running around in the backyard, giggling and laughing while they chased each other. _

"_I'm going to catch you!" said the little girl_

"_No you're not! I'm faster!" said the boy. He kept running and dodging the little girl. They were having a lot of fun. It was a bright sunny day, birds singing and chirping, all was pleasant. That is, until moments later a man slammed the house door open and walked angrily towards the little girl._

"_To hell with you Jonathan! Claire, we're leaving, NOW."_

"_But daddy-"_

"_Now Claire!" _

"_Okay daddy. Bye Alex." The man practically dragged Claire away. _

"_Bye Claire! Will you come over tomorrow?" Instead of Claire replying, the man, her dad, answered. _

"_Not a chance." He then took off in his truck. Alex watched as the red Chevy truck drove away. Jonathan, Alex's father, approached him. He knelt down, and spoke with a calm but firm voice._

"_Son, I'm afraid you won't be seeing Claire again. You are too young to understand this right now, but that family is not the kind of people I want around my own family. I don't want you hanging around Claire or any of her family, do you understand?"_

_The boy couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was never going to see his best friend Claire again? His eyes started tearing up._

"_But why dad?" said the boy trying to fight back tears. _

"_I can't really tell you now Alex, but one day you'll understand." Jonathan said and hugged his son, knowing that he must be feeling miserable right now. So was he, he had just cut ties with a longtime friend, a brother really. And not just him, but his family as well. It was a tough choice, but necessary for the sake of the pack. He was an alpha, and the pack was his priority to keep safe, no matter what._

"_Why don't we go inside and see what your mom is cooking, huh?" The little boy didn't speak, but merely nodded a yes. _

***End of flashback***

"Alex, long time no see."

"Claire." In front of me stood a light-skinned tall girl, long brown wavy hair, brown eyes, and wearing a dark green button up shirt on top of a white shirt with jeans and knee-high boots. **(5) **She definitely wasn't the little girl he remembered. She was probably 17 now, can't compare her now to how she was when she was 4.

"What brings you along these parts of the woods?"

"Well, I was in town and I decided to stop by."

"You just "decided to stop by"? How'd you even know I lived here? And after all this time, really? You're gonna have to do better than that."

"Er, you know, I haven't changed in almost two weeks, and you know what can happen if I keep that up." I was aware that Claire had already had her first transformation, which is why I had no problem telling her about that.

She scoffed.

"You could have changed in any part of these woods. So why are you really here? Last time I saw you was when your father kicked my family out of the pack."

"Your family nearly exposed our kind by recklessly transforming near the city, several times. What was my dad supposed to do?! Allow it to continue? We were too young to comprehend that at the time, but you have to see that what my father did was the right thing to do."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jonathan Shepard, always doing the "right thing", even when it means screwing other people."

"Don't disrespect my father like that! He took you and your family in when you needed help, so don't you dare suggest he's a bad man!" I yelled angrily. I then took a deep breathe to calm myself. I wasn't lying when I had said I had not transformed in nearly two weeks. My temper was getting edgy.

"Don't yell at me! What do you even want?!"

"Look, we were great friends before all this. Look at us, fighting over a situation neither of us had a fault in. I'm sorry I yelled at you, I came here with every intention to reconnect with a long lost friend."

Claire was just observing me, probably debating on whether or not to agree with me.

"Have you been working out?" she finally said with a smile. I let out a small sigh of relief and laughed.

"Actually yes I have."

"We have a lot to catch up on don't we?"

"Yes, we do, but! Can we go on a run first? **(6)** I heard you already transformed into your werewolf form."

"Ha ha, yes I have. And I heard you transformed early. And as for the run, sure, why not?"

"Yeah, I was in the middle of packing when it happened. So shall we then?" I say pointing outside

"Let's do it. Bet you I'll beat you to the bridge."

"Oh you're on!" We both got undressed and started to change. Always the slight pain as our bones changed shape, but oddly enough when it was done a great deal of stress just slipped away.

We both walked towards what was an imaginary race start-line. We counted to three in our heads, and started running like our lives depended on it. She took the lead at the beginning. I kept running because there was no way I was losing to Claire after all those races I had won in a row against her. The breeze was hitting my face, it was refreshing. I could smell the mild humidity, and the aroma of the plants there. I saw that Claire was beginning to slow down, and that's where I took my chance. I pushed myself to go faster than I already was, and took the lead. Claire gave this small growl behind me, as we were both determined to beat the other. We approached a left turn, where she took the lead again. We kept running straight for about five minutes. Finally, we saw the bridge straight ahead. Claire was still in the lead, and I was not gonna let her win. I could tell her thoughts were the same as mine: not letting the other win. We were really close now, so I went on a full on sprint, as did she. I was breathing heavy, all I could think was _just keep running_! I took the lead, then Claire, then me, so on so forth. Then we finally reached the finish line. I won!

We were both breathing heavy, but I was putting on a smug face. I eventually started taunting her by walking in circles around her, making brief howls of triumph. We eventually headed back to the cabin. Along the way it was nothing but pure teasing on my part. We made sure no one was around the area, and we went inside. There, we changed back to our human form and got dressed.

"Ha! I told you I'd win!"

"Barely won. At least now I can say I can challenge the great Alex at a race." She said with a grin

"Yeah, yeah. You've gotten faster I'll give you that." Then the thought hit me that I should check the time. I only had thirty minutes before I'd have to pick up Miranda

"Ah man. Looks like I'm out of time. It was GREAT seeing you again, I had a really good time. Mind if I get your number so we can stay in contact?"

"Sure, here, let me type it in for you." She typed in her number on my omni-tool

"There you go, don't be a stranger." We walked outside to my motorcycle.

"Alright, take care of yourself." I said as I hugged her

"I will, you too." She gave me a peck on the cheek. I simply smiled, put on my helmet, and took off for Miranda's house.

* * *

**Unknown POV**

As Alex disappeared, I dialed to make a phone call.

"Report."

"I've got'em images ya' asked for." I said as the girl, Claire, walked back into the cabin

"Good. Send them to me immediately. In the meantime keep monitoring him, and keep me updated."

"Yes sir." And the call ended. I walked back to my car carefully with my assault rifle on my right hand, trying not to get spotted by the girl. I got in the vehicle and set all my gear on the passenger seat. I started the engine and continued to follow the boy around.

* * *

**Shepard's POV**

I got there five minutes early thankfully. I didn't want to make up a lie to Miranda as to why I was late. I didn't want her to get involved with that part of my life. Well, not only did I not want her to be exposed to all that, but she couldn't. I wasn't going to risk our kind, maybe when I know for certain I can tell her- no. Dad kept it a secret from mom even after they were married. *Sigh* what a great foundation I'm laying for our relationship. I walked towards the estate and rang the bell. One of the house employees answered the door and let me in.

"Ms. Lawson will be with you in just a moment." The asari said politely

"Thank you." She left the room, leaving me alone in the large living room. Most of the walls were covered in family photos. The ones on top of the fireplace caught my attention. There were four of them. One of them was of Henry and who I assume is Miranda's mom, both obviously very young in this picture. Henry had a serious face, but was hugging his wife. Miranda's mother, however, was smiling brightly. The scenery behind them made me think that this picture was probably taken during a picnic. The only one to the left was Oriana as a baby, looking at the camera with curious eyes. She looked adorable with chubby cheeks, a pony pajama outfit, and her messy hair. The third one was with Miranda and her mother. They were both smiling at the camera. Miranda looked so care free in this picture that I was tempted to take a picture of it. Which I did. They were both wearing fancy dresses, probably at a party. Miranda's mother had a baby bump. The last one did not have Miranda's mother, instead only Henry, Miranda, and Oriana. Both Henry and Miranda looked very different in this one. I grabbed the frame I slid my fingers across the screen. She now looked so stressed and tense. She did not have baggy eyes or anything, she looked very beautiful in fact. But I could definitely see a difference from the previous pictures. And Henry, that man looked even sourer than before. Oriana was there, the mom wasn't. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots. I put the frame back in its place.

I turned around and kept exploring the living room. There was a set of guitars there, the guitars being either acoustic or electric, and a violin right next to the set. I had this voice inside my head saying _don't touch the guitars_, but I didn't listen to it. Besides, Henry liked me for some odd reason, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I chose the acoustic guitar. I played with the strings in order to tune the guitar. When I was done with that, I grabbed the stool and sat down facing the window. **(7) **I started playing the guitar, and began singing:

_Oh, well imagine  
As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor  
And I can't help but to hear  
No, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words  
"What a beautiful wedding  
What a beautiful wedding," says a bridesmaid to a waiter  
"Oh, yes, but what a shame  
What a shame the poor groom's bride is a whore."  
I chime in with a  
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?"  
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things  
with a sense of poise and rationality  
I chime in  
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?"  
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things  
with a sense of-  
Oh, well in fact  
well I'll look at it this way  
I mean, technically, our marriage is saved  
and this calls for a toast  
so pour the champagne-_

*someone clears their throat*

I stopped playing completely, blushing furiously because I was caught singing and playing. I hate playing in front of people, makes me a bit nervous. I slowly turned around to see none other than Miranda standing at the door way.

"Hi Miranda." My voice cracked slightly at the embarrassment.

She was just staring at me with…curiosity? I couldn't really tell, she was just _staring_

"Miranda?"

"Alex that was really good." Awe, she was staring in awe. Bingo.

"Gee, try not to sound too shocked." I said slightly offended

"I just didn't think you had the voice to sing. I've never heard you sing."

"And I've never heard you play the piano." She gave a small laugh

"Fair enough. But why don't you sing more often?"

"I feel uncomfortable performing around people."

"Wait, stage fright? The all-confident Alex Michael Shepard can't perform in front of people?"

"I don't have stage fright. It's different." I held a pensive look, which is probably why she stopped teasing me

"How different?"

"You remember how I told you I paint?" I waited for her to nod before continuing.

"Well, it's different. When you paint or draw, people don't usually criticize you because each piece is open to interpretation. A different meaning for everyone. Sure, songs are similar, but songs get a message across through words, not image. If you don't get the words right, you fail. It's out of my comfort zone. It's why I don't sing around people. Well, that and I hate the way my voice sounds." I say trying to brighten the mood.

"Well, for the record I loved your voice. I bet if this was in your comfort zone you could make a career out of it." She told me, locking her arm with mine encouragingly

"Well, enough of that. Are you ready to head out and buy essentials for our trip?"

"Definitely!"

* * *

***4 Hours Later***

"Miranda, when I said essentials, I didn't mean pick out outfits for every day we'll be over there. Now I finally get why you insisted we take your car." I said frustratingly as I walked into the house with ten to fifteen bags of clothing on each hand.

We, or Miranda actually, spent two hours shopping for nothing but clothes. We went from shop to shop, looking for "the right outfits". I was so annoyed that at some point I suggested just buying the entire mall. She didn't pay me much mind, and kept doing what she was doing. We then went to get some lunch at some café Miranda said had great food. Then we went to by the ACTUAL essentials for the trip, which Miranda hardly helped with. After that we drove home and we're now here.

"Oh quit whining." She said with a smile that immediately removed my frustration

"So do we go put these in your room?"

"Um, yeah, come on."

She led me upstairs to her bedroom, where I nearly tripped several times on the stairs. When we finally got to the bedroom, I placed all the bags on the bed.

"It's official, I've survived the first shopping spree."

"Don't be so dramatic. Besides, I got some clothes for you too."

"Um thanks I guess." I gave a small chuckle, "I'm exhausted."

"Well it's almost time for dinner. You could stay over." Miranda suggested

"Would your father be okay with it?"

"My father likes you. Don't know why, but he does." **(8)**

"So I'm assuming that's a yes I can stay over…?"

"Pretty much."

"Alright then, I'll just use one of the pajamas I'm sure you got me." Miranda smiled at what I said

"Actually, I did." She said wrapping her arms around my neck

"Well, in that case I'm all set to stay." I leaned downed and kissed her, lazily and slowly

"That you are" she said afterwards

"So in which guest bedroom will I be sleeping in?"

"Father's making us stay in the same room for the trip. We might as well practice."

"Are you sure? I don't want to-" she silenced me with another kiss

"I'm sure."

"Okay" I say with a smile, "but I'm starving, so let's go get some dinner!"

* * *

***After an Awkward Quiet Dinner with Henry***

**Miranda's POV**

"Your dad has one fine selection of wine." Shepard said

"I'm surprised he even let you drink, he never let me drink." This was true. The first glass I actually had was with Shepard.

"I was too. It made the incredibly awkward dinner a bit more bearable though."

"It didn't help one bit for me." I sighed

"Hey what's wrong?" he asked me with concern obvious in his voice

"I don't know. Lately, I've just been getting sick and tired of his attitude. I don't know how my mom dealt with a man like him."

"You've never talked about your mom. Her death still affects you, doesn't it?" Yes, it did. A lot, in fact.

"She's dead Shepard. It's just how it is. It's not worth dwelling on it." I said more coldly than I intended

"Hey, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. Come on, let's just go to bed. Sleep the day's stress away. Sound like a good idea?"

"Perfect." I said with a forced smile

We both went to prepare for bed. He went in the shower first, so I brushed my teeth and chose my clothes. When he came out, I went into the shower, while he brushed his teeth and changed into a pajama set I had bought him. Then when I was done, I combed my hair and changed. I went back into my room to find Alex with his hair tousled, wearing the black shirt and pants I got him, and bare-foot sitting at the edge of the bed.

"You ready to catch some sleep?" he asked me as he yawned, making me yawn

"God yes, I'm extremely tired."

He scooted back, lifted the thick covers, and buried himself in them. He then tapped the pillow next to him, signaling me to join him. And I did. I turned off the light on my nightstand, and he did the same. I positioned myself in a way that my back was facing him, but I felt his arm wrap around my waist, pulling me close to him. I could smell the soap on him, and I'm pretty sure he could do the same. It was a comfortable and cozy position. I couldn't wait until our vacation started. But that was yet to come. Right now we were both glued to the bed, and we were both asleep within minutes of curling up together.

* * *

**A/N:**

**(1) I found it ironic that he said that when he could actually be referring to Jack. She's not his girlfriend, per se, but it definitely seems to be building up to something… O.o **

**(2/3) Outfits Shepard wore: Day outfit- Black Calvin Klein Body Slim SS V-Neck and Levi's jeans. **

**Night outfit- Calvin Klein Cotton Stretch SS Crew and black Polo Ralph Lauren Thermal Knit Pants**

*** I wasn't sure whether or not to include what EXACTLY he was wearing, so let me know if I should make those details as part of the story :) If anything I MIGHT mention what they are wearing, in detail, in a third person POV chapter, but who knows. Let me know what you think! I had some people ask me for those details, so there you go! **

**(4) As this is an AU, not many humans are biotics, which is why Miranda is afraid of how Shepard will react when she tells him. Well, he's a werewolf Miranda lol **

**(5) Claire is a werewolf, and long lost friend of Shepard's. I used imagery I failed to use when I introduced Miranda when I introduced Claire. I might do a few tweaks to Ch. 3 :) Also, Claire is not just a random character, she is a permanent one. But I'll go into details about it later on. **

**(6) I'm pretty sure most of you knew what I meant, but just in case, in future chapters when I use the phrase "go for a run" I mean that they'll change into their werewolf form. **

**(7) The cover Shepard was the acoustic version of I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At The Disco. On youtube, just type in the name of the song, and click on the video by x1039phoenix. I tried putting the link, but it wouldn't save, I'll see if I can add it on my profile, so do check it out !**

**(8) Why didn't she tell him about what her father told her? O.o**

**I tried to put a lot of description in this chapter, because I had a request to do so. Please let me know what you guys thought about that, too much? Also excuse any grammar mistakes, I tried to put a lot into this chapter. I also felt like I was neglecting Miranda, and we cannot have that! Which is why I had two plots going on in this chapter. And to be honest, I'm still deciding on who should end up with Shepard, who do you think? (Claire can be a choice if you'd like, just make sure to say so!) I hope you guys enjoyed it! I love hearing what you guys think so plz review :D more to come soon! **

**-MKShepard**


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